Term limits? A ward structure for the town board?

Here is Times Union reporter Dayelin Roman’s story from tonight’s board meeting.
What are your thoughts on term limits for the supervisor and town board, and the idea of having a ward structure where each town board seat represents a different part of town?

BETHLEHEM — Supervisor John Clarkson, in office less than a month, is already talking about changing the Town Board’s structure.

Clarkson said he’d like to have public discussions about dividing the town into wards, meaning each councilman would represent a different part of town.

“In campaigning, there was a clear feeling in outer areas that they’re not really as fully represented,” Clarkson said. “I think this regional system would help that.”

At Wednesday night’s meeting, the Town Board unanimously agreed to put together a citizen’s advisory committee to explore that and other issues, including term lengths for the supervisor and the board. Membership in the committee is still open and will be solidified at the next board meeting. New board member George Lenhardt was not present at Wednesday’s meeting after a previously scheduled vacation.

The idea of a town board being split into wards is unusual, but not unheard of. In New York, 11 town boards are split into wards, the nearest one being Queensbury, Warren County. Others include Poughkeepsie, Brookhaven in Nassau County, and Camillus and Salina in Onondaga County.

Under the system, the town would be split into either four or six wards of equal population. The lines would be drawn by the board of elections officially, but could be guided by citizens.

Although they agreed to allow a committee to study the idea, it seems that not every member of the Town Board is keen on the prospect.

“I would characterize (Clarkson)’s proposal as trying to turn our town into a city,” Councilman Kyle Kotary said. “There’s no call in the community for changing our system that works.”

Kotary called the ward system a more divisive form of government that creates infighting, as each board member would be more concerned for their own piece of the community rather than the town as a whole.

“The best form of government, the most efficient and most productive is the town form of government,” he said.

Kotary said he would rather the board focus its efforts on finding cost savings, but is open to listening to what the committee will propose.

Councilman Jeffrey Kuhn said he’ll keep an open mind and consider any analysis done by any advisory groups, but he has initial reservations.

“There are 932 towns in the state of New York and only 11 are divided into wards,” he said. “Three out of the 11 are enormous towns on Long Island.”

Kuhn also expressed concerns about creating competition and rivalry in the community.

“I think the municipal government ideally should help to unite the town and not to divide it into disparate units,” he said.

“I’m very much looking forward to hearing what the committee will propose,” Councilwoman Joann Dawson said. “But our intentions up here are not to be secular or territorial.”

To make the change, residents would have to vote on it. Clarkson said the board would send the matter to a referendum, but members of the Town Board said it is unclear whether it would simply go to public vote or whether it would have to be approved by the Town Board before it is voted on.

Before the change could make it onto a ballot, a public hearing would have to be held. The ward lines may not necessarily be known before a vote takes place.

I’ve felt this was needed for some time. Glenmont & Clarksville do not get the attention they deserve from the Elsmere/Delmar/Slingerlands crowd. Sidewalks everywhere over there, but where is a sidewalk along Fuera Bush Rd so residents can walk to all the stores a half mile away?

@4 – clarksville is part of the Town of New Scotland so they would not be included in this change. We have a Board Member from Glenmont (Dawson) so I think those residents have a voice on the Board. We had a Supervisor who was building sidewalks on Feura Bush Rd but that program has stopped. I have to agree with the Board members that a ward system would prove to be divisive. Given Clarkson’s efforts to divide our community between the elites and the rest of us, division may be exactly what he is looking for. And frankly, if doesn’t reduce my taxes I have no clue why we are wasting our time on this issue. Don’t we have Fire Districts that we a trying to unify in order to cut costs? And didn’t I just read that the Supervisor is trying to unify ambulance districts in order to cut costs and streamline operations? So why the contridiction in approach except to create political chaos. Focus on the big picture and stop nibbling around the edges.

I’m not sure I understand the emphasis on change when we have some fairly significant “business as usual” issues. The structural problems we have with the Town’s budget (i.e. we on a trajectory that guarantees deficits for the foreseeable future) and the evaporating COGEN pilot revenues (i.e. $1.5M) are two examples.

I heard that the loss of COGEN revenues could result in a 15% property tax increase. Personally, I would prefer that we focus on these more pressing matters unless the proposed changes will, somehow, ameliorate the financial problems.

One town that was mentioned in the article as having a ward system was Brookhaven, which the article incorrectly listed to be in Nassau County. It is actually in Suffolk County (but it does have a Ward system).

In Nassau County the town of Hempstead has a Ward system thought it was result of court order under a case brought under the voting rights act.
of 1965.

I’m from Long Island originally and that’s why I know
Brookhaven is in Suffolk.

I did e-mail the author last night of the article about the need for a correction but I have not heard back.

I’m not sure how to get a correction but I thought that you should be corrected for the record. Thanks.

I believe delawar_dan (@ 6) has it correct: there is no quanantee that a ward system will help the outlying areas of the Town because when things come to a vote, the so-called Elsmere/Delmar/Slingerlands crowd could form a block to outvote; the idea, if implemented, is more likely to be divisive than not.
If people in a given area feel their voices are not being heard, why not start a petition drive and petition the TB for whatever it is they feel they are being cheated out of?
I don’t think a ward-type government is the answer, I really don’t.

I heard that the loss of COGEN revenues could result in a 15% property tax increase. Personally, I would prefer that we focus on these more pressing matters unless the proposed changes will, somehow, ameliorate the financial problems.

-Because of the property tax cap I don’t think taxes would increase 15%. Maybe taxes will increase 2% and they will cut 13% from the budget? That would be a deep cut to staff and services.

Kyle Kotary is still in Bethlehem? At least he is consistent in creating sound bites to contradict supervisors chosen by the people rather than his boss. Fair and equal representation for all people has a nice ring to it. I could have sworn I’ve seen that successfully implemented before…

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